


Promised Destruction

by Tren



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Manipulation, False Identity, M/M, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24578047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tren/pseuds/Tren
Summary: During beta tests for SAO Kirito manages to start an unlikely friendship with one of the beta tests supervisors, Heathcliff.Little does he know the two of them will meet again in the online game turned into a death trap.
Relationships: Kayaba Akihiko | Heathcliff/Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito, Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito & Yuuki Asuna | Asuna
Comments: 22
Kudos: 112
Collections: Fandom 5K 2020





	Promised Destruction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [psychomachia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychomachia/gifts).



> Thanks to Karios for the beta.

**Kirito:** The highlight was probably when I clipped into the wall of the dungeon after using Rage Spike. I already sent a report on that. Other than that today was pretty glitchless 

**Heathcliff:** Any other notable bugs?

 **Kirito:** Horizontal Arc is still giving me different delay times and it messes with the flow of battle. The day when it’s patched can’t come quick enough

 **Heathcliff:** The development team is working hard trying to fix that one. I was told that the problem has to do with the data transmission between NerveGear and the game. It affects a few other Sword Skills including some high level ones so we are grateful to you and other beta testers who pointed this out

 **Kirito:** Don’t worry. As long as they are fixed when the game officially launches I will have no complaints

 **Kirito:** Speaking of how it’s going? I know you are mostly in charge of monitoring and compiling information from beta testers and then sending it to the development team, but you must have seen Kayaba at work at some point, right?

 **Heathcliff:** I’ve definitely seen him, but he’s so absorbed into the work I don’t think he’s even noticed passing me by

 **Kirito:** How cold

 **Heathcliff:** I don’t mind. He pays a lot of attention to the data I sent him and that’s good enough for me

 **Kirito:** I know you told me you aren’t that high in the hierarchy, but it feels like you are terribly underappreciated

 **Heathcliff:** Sorry if that’s how I came off. I definitely don’t feel like that’s the case. I’m glad everyone on the development team is putting their all into SAO

 **Kirito:** Me too. Sorry for reading too much into it

 **Heathcliff:** It’s fine. It’s nice to have someone worrying about me

 **Kirito:** It’s comments like this that make me feel worried

Kazuto sighed, as he leaned in his chair. When the beta for Sword Art Online started he didn’t quite expect to befriend the person in charge of compiling beta tester data. Kazuto had been approached by Heathcliff due to a bug he had run into. Apparently, the SAO’s production team needed more details to track down the cause of that bug. Somehow the discussion about the bug quickly railroaded into a general discussion about SAO.

After that they kept talking from time to time. Heathcliff usually contacted him under the pretense of asking about any new or known bugs, but it didn’t feel like that was the only reason why he kept texting Kazuto.

It almost felt like having a friend.

Not that it would last, the beta tests were scheduled to end in two weeks. Once that happened there would be no excuses for them to keep in contact.

Kazuto sighed. Even if he couldn’t wait for the official release of the game, some part of him wished that the beta tests would never end.

*

September passed, ending the beta tests for SAO. As October started to end Kazuto had to face the truth. Heathcliff had stopped contacting him. It made sense. They no longer had reasons to talk with each other. It was normal. Heathcliff was probably busy helping develop a game rather than humoring one lonely beta tester.

Kazuto almost contacted him a few times. The temptation was there.

However, he squashed that urge each time. He hated the idea that he might be a bother to Heathcliff.

Still, as November rolled in bringing with it the official launch of Sword Art Online, Kazuto found himself unable to resist.

 **Kirito:** I’m going to log into the SAO now

 **Kirito:** If we run into each other at some point say hi to me

Kazuto quickly closed the application and started to put on the NerveGear.

He would confront the embarrassment of contacting Heathcliff once he had played SAO for a few hours.

*

Playing for a few hours somehow turned into an indefinite death game as Kayaba Akihiko’s avatar appeared above the crowd to announce that there was much more to Sword Art Online than anyone suspected.

It was terrible. Not only because Kirito’s life was now in danger (as was the life of every other person who had logged in), but also because he had idolized Kayaba a bit.

Okay, maybe more than a bit given that he had hunted down every interview with him that he could, but there was always something fascinating about Kayaba and his ground-breaking inventions to Kirito.

But now all that admiration and faith had been brutally betrayed.

Kirito pretty much stumbled out of the gathering, dragging Klein with him. Somehow, all the hurt and betrayal seemed to coagulate into a desperate drive to survive. 

However, Klein couldn’t go with him. He had people he needed to look over and Kirito… He was just a teenager. He wouldn’t be able to help all of them. It was only logical to leave them behind. Besides, Klein said he would be okay, so it was only fair to trust him.

Somehow, it didn’t lessen the guilt he felt as he turned his back on Klein and ran out of town.

*

As Kirito later discovered, guilt was a really funny feeling. For one, there seemed to be no limit to how much of it you could feel. Whenever Kirito thought he had reached the bottom, he would find a deeper hole of shame open right under his feet, waiting for him to readily step into it.

Apparently, abandoning Klein wasn’t enough for him. He would continue on, selfishly hiding his beta player status to avoid persecution and keep all the valuable knowledge to himself.

He should have known better. Knowledge was power. And power was needed to survive in this twisted game.

Diavol made him realize just how selfish and self-serving Kirito truly was. His death was eye-opening, making Kirito realize his own immaturity. 

From this point on, he would carry the stigma of being the beater, so he wouldn’t forget how he betrayed other players.

*

It was around the 10th floor that the clearing group started to become organized. The bosses for the first few floors were easy enough that randomly assembled groups of strong players were able to make do, but the difficulty spike around the tenth level boss changed that. However, it was the major failure of Aincrad Liberation Squad during the boss battle on the 25th floor that truly defined the landscape. As their guild retired from the front lines, another guild emerged taking its place as a floor clearing guild—Knights of the Blood. As such, Divine Dragon Alliance and Knights of the Blood became the two main guilds dedicated to clearing floor bosses.

Since he was a solo player, Kirito wasn’t a part of either of them. Not that it stopped him from taking part in the floor boss raids.

What Kirito didn’t expect when Knights of the Blood made their debut during the strategy meeting for the raid on the 26th floor boss was that he would hear another familiar name aside from Asuna’s.

“I’m Heathcliff, the leader of Knights of the Blood. We are here to join the fight on the front lines.”

It was good that absolutely no one was looking at Kirito during that introduction because he was pretty sure he'd frozen with his mouth wide open.

It couldn’t be the same Heathcliff, right? As far as they were aware aside from Kayaba himself, no other game developers were inside the game… Then again given how much hate beta testers were getting, admitting to being a game developer would be outright suicidal. Kirito wouldn’t be surprised if such admission ended with lynching or assassination.

Kirito kept his distance throughout the meeting. Regardless of whether it was the Heathcliff Kirito knew or someone else with the same handle, it would be stupid to just approach him openly. Kirito had the worst reputation amongst the clearing group, approaching anyone would just bring unwanted scrutiny and rumors upon them.

However, as the meeting ended, it was Heathcliff who somehow spotted Kirito amongst the crowd and approached him.

“You are the solo player, Kirito?” he asked. He sounded cheerful, though his voice was controlled. He didn’t seem like a person easily swayed by emotions.

“Yes, the infamous beater. Do you have business with me?” Kirito asked, doing his best to sound unapproachable. While a lot of players had already left, including the rest of Knights of the Blood, some players still lingered in the tent they used for the strategy meeting.

“I just want to talk. I’ve heard a lot about you from Asuna,” he admitted, easily.

That made sense, Asuna took part in every floor boss battle so far and, as a result, she and Kirito regularly saw each other. She also seemed to have a lot of opinions about him. Not very positive ones, though.

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about, but I can spare a moment,” Kirito agreed, reluctantly. He was curious if it was just a coincidence. And if it wasn’t, it meant he could ask someone who was involved in the creation of SAO about the current situation.

“Great, let’s move elsewhere. I think you’d prefer a more private place.”

*

The inn Heathcliff led him to was small, but it would probably be sufficient.

“It should be safe to discuss here,” Heathcliff said as he sat at the other side of the table. As he said, his stern expression relaxed a bit. “I’m glad to see you are still alive, Kirito.”

“So you _are_ Heathcliff?” Kirito asked for confirmation.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I probably don’t look how you imagined.”

“No,” Kirito admitted, holding his hands. “I thought you were more of a scholarly type.”

Heathcliff was much taller and bulkier than Kirito expected. Somehow he always imagined Heathcliff as a lanky man in his twenties, but he looked to be at least in his thirties. Though, maybe it was just the impression Kirito was getting from his sharp features.

He didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of asking Heathcliff about his age.

“Hahahaha, I guess I don’t really look like a stereotypical software developer,” Heathcliff said, though there was something awkward about the way he spoke it. “Though I must admit I’m surprised too. You always sounded so mature; I assumed you were a university student or at least a high schooler.”

“Ah, well, I guess,” Kirito said, lowering his eyes. It felt strange to meet someone he had interacted with through the net inside SAO. Now that he was forced to look like his real life self, Kirito couldn’t help feeling exposed. Like a part of him he never wanted to show other people got forcibly displayed.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel self-conscious,” Heathcliff said quickly, but it didn’t help to clear the mood. After an awkward moment of silence, he decided to move to another topic. “You are probably wondering how I ended up inside the game.”

“Well, yes,” Kirito said. He was very curious to know how the situation looked from Heathcliff’s perspective.

Heathcliff took a deep breath.

“I should probably start from the beginning. So, as you are probably suspecting most of the development team, if not everyone, had no idea what Kayaba was planning. We really thought we were making nothing more than an MMO. There wasn’t really any feeling of foreboding. I mean, there were some weird things, but we all assumed it was just Kayaba being eccentric rather than suspecting that he was planning a death game.”

“Are there other developers trapped inside SAO?” Kirito asked.

Heathcliff shook his head.

“I don’t think so. Kayaba specifically forbade everyone from logging into the game on the first day. He even suspended the access to our mod accounts. However, me and another member were worried if one of the bugs was properly patched, so I used the beta testing account I still had access to to log in despite that. And that’s how I ended up here. I don’t think anyone else from the development team made the same mistake I did.”

“I see. So your account isn’t any different from a beta tester account.” 

“Unfortunately, not,” Heathcliff confirmed. “When I was logging in all mod accounts were still suspended. Kayaba is probably the only person who has any control of the game right now.”

Kirito sighed.

“I suspected as much. He seemed to be a thorough guy.”

“Yes, I’m afraid the only way to escape is to do as he says and climb this tower,” Heathcliff confirmed.

“Speaking of, what were you doing until now?” Kirito paused as he realized that his question sounded more accusatory than he intended. “I’m not faulting you or anything. It’s just you should have a better insight into this game than anyone else, so I’m surprised you only now decided to take part in clearing floor bosses.”

Heathcliff’s expression turned serious, as he lowered his gaze.

“I thought it would be better not to get involved at first. I was one of the people responsible for this whole situation after all. So I stayed on the first floor and helped people level up. I think I was afraid of someone recognising me after all. Aside from you there was only one other beta tester I contacted personally, so only two people knew my true identity, but even then it seemed like too much of a risk. And since most beta players rushed out of the starting city as soon as they could, it felt safe to stay there. At least that was what I told myself.”

“But you left,” Kirito pointed out.

Heathcliff took a deep breath. 

“Yes, the other beta tester who knew about me died during the battle with the first floor boss.”

Kirito could feel himself tense.

“It was Diavol?”

Heathcliff nodded. “I’m sorry. I heard you were there.”

“Yes…” Kirito trailed off, unsure what to say. “So I’m the only one who knows.”

“Yes, for obvious reasons I would prefer if you didn’t mention this to anyone. But coming back to my story. When I heard of his death, I decided to leave the first floor and try to level up. However, it took me some time to catch up. And when I heard what happened to Aincrad Liberation Squad, I realized I couldn’t sit back anymore. I had to take action.”

Kirito considered his words. Heathcliff’s story made sense so far, but there were still a few questions Kirito had.

“Did you know about the changes made after the beta tests?”

“Some of them, but I’m not really sure which changes were implemented. I mostly know about the changes caused by bugs, but Kayaba altered some bosses after the beta and I don’t know much about those changes.”

“Wait, how could you not know?”

“I was stuck analyzing the beta test data almost up until the release of the game since there was so much of it. Someone else was in charge of our internal beta testers,” he explained. He scratched his neck. “I didn’t think that missing all those new assets and improvements would end up being such a major setback when it came to my survival.”

“I see,” Kirito muttered, feeling dejected. He hoped that at least Heathcliff would have a better insight into the future bosses, but it seemed he had been as blindsided by the situation as everyone else. “It must have been terrible for you, you’ve been working with him after all.”

Heathcliff seemed to be taken aback by Kirito’s words.

“You mean Kayaba?”

Kirito blinked, realizing he might have said too much.

“Yes, I mean… I felt betrayed during the announcement, but it must’ve been even harder for you,” he explained, feeling self-conscious despite himself. He hadn’t really emotionally opened up to anyone ever since he took the title of the beater. It was the first time in a long while he actually had such an honest conversation with someone.

Finally, Heathcliff smiled. It was a small smile and somehow it felt like the first honest one Kirito had seen on him.

“That’s kind of you, but you don’t need to worry about me. I had a lot of time to think this through and make peace with Kayaba’s sins. When the time comes, I promise I will kill him with my own hands,” Heathcliff said. His voice was calm, but full of resolve.

Kirito found himself taken aback.

“Isn’t killing him a bit too much? I know he is responsible for the death of many people, but doing the same thing to him won’t bring back any of the lost lives. We will just become the same as him,” he argued. Killing the floor bosses was one thing, but taking another person’s life... Even if they were criminals, it was just too much. 

Heathcliff was silent for a moment. He seemed to consider his words.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” he finally said. “Since you've never met Kayaba you might not realize it, but he’s someone who completely throws himself into things. So this death game... He wouldn’t start it if he didn’t intend to put his life on line in the first place.”

Kirito felt a chill as the meaning of those words dawned on him.

“You don’t mean—”

“I’m almost certain he is waiting for us—on the 100th floor of this tower as the final floor boss and last obstacle separating all the trapped players from freedom,” Heathcliff explained, his voice steady. “It would fit his character perfectly.”

Kirito’s gaze fixed on the table, as he tried to calm himself, but he couldn’t.

He didn’t want to kill anyone. Sure, he had some bad experiences, but he would never wish death on someone. The mere idea of taking someone’s life terrified him.

“You don’t have to think too much about it right now. There’s still time before we get that far,” Heathcliff added more gently. He must have realized his words hit Kirito harder than he intended. “And there’s actually something else I wanted to ask you.”

Kirito finally raised his head.

“Something else?”

“Yes,” Heathcliff said seriously. He paused, as if to give more gravity to his next words. “Would you want to join Knights of the Blood?”

Kirito rapidly raised from his chair.

“I’m a solo player,” he said, almost stumbling on his words.

“Yes, not belonging to a guild is called being a solo player. And you stop being one when you join a guild,” Heathcliff explained patiently, as if he was talking to a child.

“I’m a beater!” Kirito added with more urgency.

“Are you really trying to sell this to someone who oversaw the closed beta? You were one of the best behaved beta testers we had. One of very few who didn’t try to test the limits of our profanity filters, you know. I mean, it was valuable data, but there was a point where I just wished some beta tester would start hacking at things rather than testing their very limited vocabulary.”

Kirito found himself feeling extremely embarrassed. He wasn’t used to people seeing through his mask of a heartless beater so easily.

He had no idea that meeting someone who knew him in a game would be so annoying.

“I’m not going to join a guild,” Kirito proclaimed strongly.

Heathcliff blinked at him.

“I definitely don’t want to force you, but I didn’t quite expect such a strong resistance,” he admitted.

“That’s…” Kirito started, but he realized he had no reason he could actually give to Heathcliff. It would be too embarrassing to admit that Kirito simply didn’t want to give Knights of the Blood bad publicity.

“I know there are many bad rumors about you, but that’s precisely why I suggested that you join. If people see you play nice with other guild members, they will realize that all those rumors about you were unfounded,” Heathcliff explained, as if reading in Kirito’s thoughts.

Kirito hated to admit it, but Heathcliff had a point. MMOs were built with group content in mind. Right now Kirito was managing as a solo player, but he knew that sooner or later the time would come when that wouldn’t be enough.

But it was enough _for now_.

“Thank you, but I have to decline. I’m afraid I just don’t get along with your second-in-command. If I joined, she might just leave.”

Heathcliff blinked at him, visibly not expecting this argument.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” he said quickly, but his voice betrayed his uncertainty. Kirito shook his head.

“I’m thankful, really. But I just don’t think this will work out,” he said, as he got up. There was no point in prolonging this conversation. “See you tomorrow. Make sure you put a good fight against the floor boss.”

Maybe he was putting too much pressure on Heathcliff, but this floor boss fight needed to succeed to restore morale. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Knights of the Blood performance in the upcoming battle would shape the future of floor boss raids. 

However, Heathcliff just smiled at that.

“You too, Kirito.”

As Kirito closed the door behind himself he thought of Heathcliff's words.

Knights of the Blood wouldn’t work for him, but maybe if someone else invited him… If it was a nice guild, he might consider it.

*

Moonlit Black Cats was a nice and cozy guild. Kirito really enjoyed it, for those three months he spent as its member, before he had inadvertently wiped it out of existence.

He swore to never join another guild after that.

*

“I’m still not going to join your guild,” Kirito said, as Heathcliff ambushed him right after the strategy meeting for the 50th floor boss raid. Most members of the clearing group suspected that this battle would be even more difficult than the usual battles similar to the 25th floor boss, which resulted in a much longer discussion than usual. All Kirito wanted at this point was to go to sleep, so he would be rested for tomorrow’s raid.

Heathcliff sighed.

“That’s not what I wanted to talk about, but I guess this is an answer to one question I had,” he said, looking slightly dejected.

Kirito was silent for a moment. He had only gotten the message from Sachi two weeks ago. It was still too early for him to put behind all that trauma.

He wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to truly get over the deaths of Moonlit Black Cats.

“What did you want to talk about then?” Kirito asked with a sigh. When Heathcliff didn’t immediately reply, Kirito sighed. Guess this meant a detour so they could have another private conversation.

*

“I take it this is something important,” Kirito said, when instead of an inn, he was invited to Heathcliff’s house. It wasn’t really a surprising precaution. Ever since people discovered that with high enough stats it was possible to overhear conversations through doors, most people opted to hold really important conversations in more secure areas like guilds or private houses.

Heathcliff’s house was really basic. Kirito suspected he only used it for sleeping. The decor was minimal—the Knights of the Blood flag hung on the wall was the only item that stood out.

“Yes, I will be announcing… or rather showing it shortly, but there are a few details that I can only share with you,” Heathcliff said, as he placed the cups with tea on the table and sat down. “You see, I have recently unlocked an unique skill.”

Kirito, who had been reaching for his tea, stopped in place.

“Wait, unique, as in one-in-a-kind skill? This game has something like that?”

“Yes, Kayaba has developed ten unique skills for SAO. Honestly, the whole development team thought he was crazy to try and include unique skills into an MMO. There were many arguments about that. I haven’t mentioned them before because I wasn’t completely sure if or when they would appear. But now that I got one of them, I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of time before others appear as well.”

“What kind of unique skill is it? Did you get it through a quest?” Kirito asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

“It’s called _Sacred Sword_ , it gives you a great defensive power with shield skills, but also a strong offense with the sword. I don’t think I got it through a quest. It just one day appeared on my skill list, I suspect it’s somehow tied to abilities. I’ve been secretly training with it, but I plan to reveal it tomorrow. It will be our trump card against the floor boss.”

“Tied to your abilities?” Kirito repeated, as he thought about Heathcliff’s words.

“Yes, I heard that Kayaba wanted to give those unique skills to, quote, the strongest players. So my guess is that these skills are given away based on some parameters.”

“Or assuming that Kayaba is watching our progress, he might be giving them to the people he deems worthy,” Kirito suggested, crossing his hands.

Heathcliff looked at him.

“Do you think that’s the case?” he asked, his voice a bit more serious than before.

Kirito blinked, caught off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think that Kayaba is letting his biases affect how this game progresses?” Heathcliff asked, his eyes sharp.

Kirito wasn’t sure why, but he felt like it was some sort of trick question. He took a sip of his tea to buy himself time and organize his thoughts.

“Well, Kayaba has to be biased, since he is a creator of this game. Because he created it with his own hands, he obviously doesn’t have an objective outlook on it. If he had, he wouldn’t have trapped so many people inside of it. That alone proves he is not thinking logically about his actions. He may believe he is acting rational according to some sort of twisted outlook he has, but I certainly don’t think he is unbiased. Sure, there is a logic and laws to his design. I won’t disprove that. But I feel like it just further proves that he’s too invested in this world to truly make detached choices.”

Heathcliff was quiet as he listened. It was somehow unnerving, since it felt like he was judging Kirito.

“Well, at least that’s what I think, but it’s not like I personally knew Kayaba. What do you think?” Kirito said, deciding to play the ball to the other side of the court.

“That's an interesting perspective,” Heathcliff said, sounding a bit distracted. “It’s not like I can say if your conjecture is true or false. As I mentioned, I didn’t really know Kayaba all that much. And talking with you just proves that point for me, since it’s a perspective I haven’t really considered…”

“Really? I thought it was obvious… Then again it’s not like I usually can talk with people about Kayaba. It’s a bit of a touchy subject,” Kirito admitted.

Maybe it was for the best. Kirito had a feeling that most people weren’t thinking about Kayaba and his motives for turning SAO into a death game half as much as he did.

“That’s true. I usually avoid the subject too. I’d rather not accidentally say something that would suggest that I know more than I should about him,” Heathcliff admitted, as he took a sip of his tea.

Kirito nodded in understanding. “I get it, during the first few weeks the paranoia was especially high.”

“Yeah, I saw a player get punched in the face, because his handle was _Kayabe_. Thankfully, the situation didn’t escalate and the fight was stopped.” Heathcliff went quiet for a moment after that. “But coming back to our initial conversation… I think you might get one too.”

“What?” Kirito said, feeling blindsided.

“Unique skills. If, as I suspect, they are awarded to the strongest players, then I’m sure you will receive one too,” Heathcliff said with unfounded confidence. Kirito could almost feel the expectation crushing him.

He couldn’t even protect a few guildmates from dying, so why was Heathcliff looking at him as if he had potential to clear the game? It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.

“I should go,” Kirito said, turning around.

He couldn’t see Heathcliff’s expression, as he unlocked the door to leave, but he had no doubt it was one of disappointment.

*

Shortly after their victory over the 50th floor boss Kirito found _Dual Wielding_ skill in his menu. It was without doubt an unique skill.

Kirito let his hand fall as he considered what he should do.

He didn’t want other players to know. He was already infamous due to being a beater, if people learned he possessed an unique skill on top of that…

No, that wasn’t an option. He wouldn have to keep it a secret.

But what about Heathcliff?

Kirito found himself clenching his fist as he thought about how Heathcliff revealed his new skill to Kirito before anyone else. Should he repay that trust?

However, a second later Kirito found himself remembering the look Heathcliff gave him at the end of their talk that day. That look so full of expectation that Kirito felt himself suffocate under it. The idea that Heathcliff would continue to look at him like that felt uncomfortable to Kirito. He didn’t want him to look at Kirito like he was some prophesied savior of Aincrad. No, what he wanted was…

...what he wanted…

Kirito closed the window with his skills. 

He wouldn’t tell anyone about his Unique Skill. Especially Heathcliff.

*

Somehow after having a duel with her, Asuna started being nicer to him. 

Which meant she probably only wanted to murder him fifty percent of the time, instead of all the time.

Still, her newfound goodwill helped when the two of them find themselves in the middle of a murder case.

It took them some time to figure things out and they certainly didn’t suspect that they would uncover an actual murder. The deceased was the killer's wife and the way the man had ranted about why he murdered her made Kirito deeply unsettled. He was used to a certain level of malice, but the intimate character of this murder struck him. The man had to be insane and yet there was some unsettling sense to what he was saying. Kirito didn’t agree with him, far from it, but some part of him understood the feeling of loneliness that motivated the man.

“You’ll understand someday, detective boy. When you’re about to lose love that you just obtained.”

It was chilling that Kirito couldn’t completely dismiss that claim. Asuna stepped in to rightfully point out that the man had viewed his wife more like an object than a person. As Asuna disarmed his excuses, the man fell to his knees. 

When they were left alone, however, Asuna voiced her doubts.

“Hypothetically speaking, if you got married, and discovered a side of your spouse that you never knew existed, what would you think?”

Kirito tried to think about it, but his mind immediately strayed to the feeling of betrayal he felt whenever he thought of Kayaba. The feeling of hurt never went away, but the longer the situation persisted the more Kirito realized that what frustrated him the most was that he couldn’t understand Kayaba’s motives.

Kirito had researched so much about him and yet, he couldn’t glimpse into the hidden side of Kayaba that made him decide on trapping all the players inside his game. 

“Ahhh, I would feel lucky, I guess,” he replied, not wanting to reveal his thoughts. 

It was a bald-faced lie. He hated every second of it.

*

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Heathcliff said, his voice accusatory. He managed to stop Kirito from escaping too far after the strategy meeting for the 69th floor boss. He was now holding Kirito’s wrist, stopping him from escaping in the middle of the street. 

Kirito didn’t reply. He had nothing to say, because he was guilty as charged.

“Let go of me,” he hissed, not looking at Heathcliff.

There weren’t many people in the street, so there were only a few gawkers observing them from a distance, but Kirito had a feeling this would soon turn into a scene.

He didn’t want a scene. He hoped Heathcliff didn’t want one either.

“Not until you talk to me,” Heathcliff said, his voice was quiet but steely.

“I don’t owe you a conversation. I’m not a part of your guild,” Kirito replied, feeling himself inevitably lose his cool.

He had good reasons not to want to talk with Heathcliff, but explaining them required talking to Heathcliff. Which was why Kirito had decided to just avoid the whole problem entirely. Unfortunately, Heathcliff didn’t seem to like the fact that Kirito was giving him a cold shoulder.

“Kirito!” Heathcliff raised his voice, but when more people turned their heads toward them he seemed to remember himself. His next words were almost a whisper. “Did I do something wrong?”

Kirito knew that the answer was no, it was all his dumb brain making him feel dumb things, but it wasn’t an answer that came out of his mouth a moment later.

“Obviously,” he said, giving Heathcliff a cold look. He forcefully pulled his hand out of Heathcliff’s grasp to accentuate his words. “You are the head of one of the strongest guilds in Aincrad with some of the most capable fighters, so stop acting like I’m some sort of prophesied hero destined to slay Kayaba!”

Now that Kirito said it, he realized it had been bothering him for a while.

Heathcliff was so strong and capable—Kirito wanted to believe that he would be the one to clear the game. He was one person Kirito would be willing to rely on in that regard. And yet, Heathcliff seemed to be pushing that responsibility more and more onto Kirito. His invitations to the Knights of the Blood grew more insistent. He seemed to believe that Kirito had obtained an Unique Skill and tried to trick him into admitting it on a few occasions. But that wasn’t so bad. Honestly, Kirito forgave those pretty easily.

However, what bothered him more than anything else was how Heathcliff seemed to expect Kirito to murder Kayaba. The topic didn’t come up often after the first time Kirito expressed his disdain for taking anyone’s life, but it was hard not to notice that Heathcliff was unhappy with that. He wouldn’t openly talk about it, but he would sometimes try to gauge if Kirito’s outlook on murder changed. Which was concerning to say the least.

It stung so much more because Kirito trusted Heathcliff. He never openly expressed that sentiment, but it was there. So seeing Heathcliff try to use that trust to push Kirito towards something as abhorrent as killing was just…

...why couldn’t Heathcliff do it? He was an adult. It had to be easier to make such a hard choice for him. It was unfair that he expected Kirito to bear that burden. 

It was especially unfair because Kirito wanted to meet his expectations, even if he hated what those expectations entitled. 

While Kirito burned with all of his bottled up emotions, Heathcliff was staring at him in silence. It seemed he hadn’t expected his outburst.

“I see,” he said. For a second it looked as if he wanted to apologize, but then stopped himself at the last moment. He had an expression that Kirito couldn’t quite decipher. Finally, Heathcliff spoke, “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Kirito agreed. “I hope that answers your question. I will see you during another floor boss raid.”

Kirito quickly turned around, not wanting to see Heathcliff’s expression. He hated to see people he cared about get hurt, especially when it was his fault.

Apparently, it was even worse when it was a person you had a crush on.

*

As if to balance things out, Kirito now found himself spending more time with Asuna. It was refreshing to interact with someone who was competent and didn’t expect him to beat the final boss by himself. In fact, he was pretty sure Asuna would duel him over the right to do so if he was ever dumb enough to suggest that he should.

Kirito wasn’t sure if they were friends, but it was nice to have someone like Asuna around.

Not that it helped to curb the longing he felt whenever he thought of Heathcliff, but it at least helped to take his mind of it for a short while.

Not that Asuna was always helpful in that regard.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. Are you and Commander fighting?” Asuna asked, as the two of them were enjoying some peace and quiet in a small cafe.

Kirito choked on his tea.

“That’s… I guess we are…” he admitted, once he stopped coughing. He put his cup back, suddenly losing any interest he had in both tea and the sweets before him.

Asuna lowered her gaze.

“Sorry if it’s a touchy subject. I’ve just been wondering… Commander has been looking down for the past two weeks and I’ve heard rumors that the two of you argued on the street.” Kirito averted his eyes, feeling guilty. Asuna noticed that and pointed her fork at Kirito. “So that rumor is true.”

“I’m not sure if it counts for an argument. He’d just chased after me once the meeting was done, and after he’d grabbed me I told him to leave me alone,” Kirito said, feeling self-conscious. He didn’t want to talk about it, but at the same time he didn’t want Asuna to misunderstand the situation.

“Wait, what did he do?!” Asuna asked, rapidly standing up. It was only then that Kirito realized he might have caused a misunderstanding with his word choice.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t anything weird! He was just very insistent about inviting me to his guild!” Kirito said quickly. It was obviously a lie, but he didn’t want to tell Asuna the whole truth. They might have become friends recently, but Kirito still didn’t trust her quite as much as he trusted Heathcliff.

Or used to trust him, it was hard to tell how Kirito felt about him right now.

Asuna collapsed back on the chair with a relieved sigh.

“Don’t scare me like that. For a moment I got really worried,” she admitted. Kirito was quiet, unsure how he felt about that scenario. Would he feel relieved if Heathcliff chased after him because Heathcliff had some romantic feelings? Or would Kirito feel even more weirded out by the whole thing?

“Sorry, I guess I’m just not used to it,” Kirito said, unsure what else to say. “I’ve only ever fought with my family.”

Asuna sighed.

“Right, I should have realized that,” she said, as if it should have been obvious. Kirito wanted to take offense to that, but she did have a point. “To be honest I’m more surprised Commander isn’t doing anything about it, if that’s the case.”

“I… might have said some harsh things to him,” Kirito admitted, trying not to feel guilty. Now that he was talking with Asuna it felt like he might have acted immature. Heathcliff did have a point, both when it came to joining the guild and having to kill Kayaba somewhere in the future. It might have been overbearing, but he was probably only trying to look after Kirito. Yes, Kirito should have been more patient and— 

“Wow, Commander must have really messed up, if that’s the case,” Asuna said, completely derailing Kirito’s train of thoughts.

“What?!” he squawked, unable to process what she just said.

Asuna gave him a look, as if she wasn’t sure if he was making fun of her or not, but then decided to take him at face value.

“Sure, you can be harsh at times, Kirito, but I can’t imagine you picking a fight with Commander for no reason. He must have said something that really bothered you if you snapped at him like that,” she explained. “Did he apologize?”

“Well… no…” Kirito admitted. He expected Asuna to naturally side with her guildmate, so it felt strange to have her take his side rather than Heathcliff's. Kirito really wasn’t really used to people unexpectedly validating his feelings. “It looked like he would at one point, but then he just stopped and instead only acknowledged that he wronged me.”

“Did you feel like that acknowledgement was enough?” Asuna asked.

Kirito shook his head. “No, it… it just wasn’t enough.”

“See, there you have it. Even if you snapped at him, he still owes you a proper apology for making you angry in the first place,” Asuna concluded, before taking a bite of her cake. “Thanks for telling me, Kirito. Now that I know what’s going on, I will try to talk with the Commander.”

“You will?” Kirito asked, suddenly feeling hopeful. He still planned on avoiding Heathcliff as much as possible, but Kirito hated the idea of being hated by him. He wanted to distance himself, but not at the cost of losing the connection he had with him.

...Maybe once it was all over he could return to just the two of them texting each other sometimes. No meeting in real life, no talking about life and death—just talking about the games like they used to. Surely, they would find another interesting video game to talk about once they escaped Sword Art Online.

Even if SAO was the only thing connecting them in the beginning, there had to be something beyond it now. They wouldn’t just drift away once they escaped the game, right?

“Yes, I will definitely talk with him,” Asuna assured him, once more stopping Kirito’s spiralling worries. “So don’t worry for now.”

Kirito felt himself smile a little, as he picked up his cup of tea. Somehow, after talking with Asuna, his appetite had returned.

*

“I can’t believe him! It’s been five floors since then and he still refuses to talk with you outside of floor boss battles and discussions!” Asuna hissed in annoyance.

She and Kirito had been enjoying a rabbit stew made from a rare ingredient. While their initial conversation had been mostly about Asuna’s home and her impressive cooking skill, it had now turned towards the source of their frustrations—Heathcliff. 

“I know,” Kirito whined. He still hadn’t shared the extent of his emotional investment into Heathcliff, but Asuna must have realized how hard he was taking their prolonged fight. Technically, it had only been three months, but to Kirito it felt like an eternity. “Maybe I should apologize to him, after all.”

However, Asuna winced at that.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. Not after he had a gall to suggest that _I_ should start trying to scout you into our guild. Before that I was even thinking that inviting you might be a good idea, even if Commander’s methods were questionable in your case, but now I don’t want you to join until you get an apology,” she insisted.

“Did he do something to annoy you? You’ve been harsher than usual,” Kirito pointed out. He was glad that Asuna had been more open in his presence recently. He didn’t think he would ever end up feeling quite as close to her as he did with Heathcliff, but she was definitely a friend he could rely on.

“You’ve seen that something today!” she hissed, but then sighed. She sounded defeated, as she said, “It’s Kuradeel.”

“Oh, _that guy_ ,” Kirito said, remembering the bodyguard he had met today. 

“I know, it’s just to keep me safe, but I feel like there’s something off about Kuradeel. He often makes me uneasy. I can’t help feeling like the Commander assigned him to guard me specifically because he wants to get back at me,” she complained, but she was sounding less rebellious now. Asuna definitely understood her position within the guild and why a bodyguard was deemed to be necessary, but she must have found that stifling. Kirito certainly would.

He also thought that saying that there was something off about Kuradeel was an understatement, but Kirito kept this thought to himself. He was pretty biased, especially after Kuradeel called him a beater.

It was so long since someone used that term that Kirito almost started to forget about it. Nowadays most people simply viewed him as a solo player from the front lines rather than a cheating beta tester.

“Now, now, I’m sure he’s not that petty,” Kirito assured Asuna. He didn’t think Heathcliff would do that, then again Kirito also didn’t expect him to cut any contact for three months.

He didn’t really understand Heathcliff as well as he thought he did.

“You are right,” Asuna said with a sigh. She was silent for a moment, as she stared into her cup of tea. Then she suddenly looked up, her gaze once more resolute. “Party with me, Kirito.”

“Uhhhh, what?” he muttered, caught off guard.

“I need a break from my guildmates. And you could use some help levelling, couldn’t you? The monsters have been acting more and more irregular recently, after all.”

“Maybe, but I can manage alone,” Kirito automatically assured her. When she glared at him, he realized it was the wrong answer.

Then again he definitely understood why Asuna wanted to escape from Kurdeel’s watch at least for a while. Denying her that would be cruel.

Also, she was eyeing the knife she had left on the counter, and Kirito had a feeling she was planning to use it if his reply wasn’t favourable.

“I guess there would be no harm in doing some levelling together,” he said quickly.

Surely, it wouldn't result in creating any more problems than he already had.

*

Kuradeel promoted himself from annoying asshole to a major creep when it turned out he had been pretty much stalking Asuna for the last month.

Kirito had a fleeting thought that he should tell Heathcliff to choose his guild members better before remembering they weren’t on speaking terms.

This morning was shaping to be all around miserable for both him and Asuna. Even more so when Kirito realized that Kurdeel’s self-righteous behaviour was making him feel the same kind of frustration that culminated in him snapping at Heathcliff. Honestly, he'd really had it with all these selfish adults pushing their vision of the world on others.

So when Kurdeel tried to forcibly take her away, Kirito found himself interfering without even thinking about it. He also didn’t hesitate to take up his challenge in a duel.

He didn’t plan to do anything excessive, but it would still be a good chance to let go of at least some of his frustrations.

*  
Kirito made a profound discovery today.

Partying with someone really did make levelling much easier. Maybe he should have tried doing it earlier. Not that he was about to voice any of those thoughts. Asuna would probably call him an idiot if he did.

Their pace was so good they even ended up discovering the room with the floor boss. The floor boss, Gleam Eyes, looked pretty scary and both of them quickly ran off after seeing it. During a short break they ran into Klein’s guild which resulted in some initial awkwardness, since Kirito had yet to stop feeling guilty about leaving Klein alone during the first day. 

However, soon Kirito ended up being reminded of much more unpleasant memories as he ended up watching Aincrad Liberation Force party slowly being wiped out by Gleam Eyes. Kirito felt the same sense of hopelessness as he did when the Moonlit Black Cats guild was obliterated before his eyes. The screams of despair, the pained faces, the far too realistic sound of the flesh being torn… it was too much.

Kirito knew he was shaking. He wanted to leap out and help, but he couldn’t. They didn’t have enough people to help. It was just him, Asuna, and Klein’s guild. Jumping in there would be suicidal.

...but if he kept doing nothing all those people would die. 

And then, as the leader of the party died before their eyes, Asuna snapped. She screamed and leaped forward, desperate to draw the boss’ attention away from the other players.

Kirito followed her, as did Klein’s guild, which decided to focus on pulling the remains of the defeated party out of the boss' room. Meanwhile, Kirito and Asuna kept drawing the attention of Gleam Eyes with their attacks, but they were sorely missing a tank. The boss’ attacks kept shaving their life.

They wouldn’t last like this.

Asuna, Klein, his guild… they would die.

Last time he had hesitated to show his true power, people he cared about died. Which was why this time he wouldn’t hesitate.

“Asuna! Klein! Please, keep it occupied for ten seconds!” he shouted, as he backed out of the attack range of the boss.

It was all the time he needed to equip his second sword.

He didn’t remember what happened next. It was just a flurry of Sword Skills released one after another, fueled by nothing but sheer desperation. Kirito didn’t know if he could win. He didn’t even have time to think about it. He just kept going, combo after combo.

The second the boss disappeared in a flurry of shattered light, Kirito felt all strength leave him and the world turned black.

He only realized how close he was to dying when he woke up to see his HP bar almost empty. It was close, too close.

But he prevented anyone else from dying.

The feeling of relief overpowered the dread. Finally, Kirito managed to save someone. All his training, all his suffering, it finally paid off.

However, as he was forced to explain the existence of his new skill, he knew—it was also a beginning of new troubles.

*

Kirito didn’t know he could be even more pissed off at Heathcliff than he was three months ago, but here they were.

 _Everything_ was unfair about the current situation. The fact that he was summoned before all the important members of Knights of the Blood so he had to act like him and Heathcliff barely knew each other. The fact that they weren’t letting Asuna just leave the guild.

And the fact that they were now forcing Kirito to take responsibility for Asuna’s mistreatment.

“Despite being hailed as the top guild, our strength is always barely sufficient. Even so, you’re trying to take away one of our precious and vital members.”

There was so much bullshit to unpack here that Kirito wasn’t sure where to begin. Asuna was her own person and yet she was being treated like a commodity. Kirito shouldn’t have even been summoned here. It was Asuna’s decision to leave the guild and framing it as if Kirito had somehow stolen her was simply unfair to both of them.

“If she’s precious, you should take more care in selecting escorts,” he replied, while stopping Asuna from speaking. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, but it was very clearly a trap. Heathcliff was probably counting on Asuna to lose her temper. It was better for an outsider like Kirito to take all the heat instead.

However, all he got in response was a lukewarm apology and another condescending line about Asuna being a guild’s property. Kirito wasn’t sure who was at this point closer to drawing their sword, him or Asuna.

“Kirito, if you still insist, win her with your sword. If you defeat me in a duel I will relinquish Asuna to you,” Heathcliff suggested. “But should you lose, you must join Knights of the Blood.”

Kirito detested everything about that suggestion. It was unfair. Heathcliff was effectively holding Asuna hostage to make him join the guild. Everything she had suffered at the hands of Kuradeel was being swept under the rug, so the guild could profit.

Kirito was a fool to think ever for a second that Knights of the Blood were a decent guild. He had been a fool to consider Commander Heathcliff a responsible leader.

He glanced at Asuna, her irritated expression spoke volumes, but she was keeping quiet. She was probably afraid that one wrong word from her would make the whole guild turn against Kirito.

She didn’t deserve to go through this. Plus, having a duel would give Kirito a great excuse to punch Heathcliff in his dumb face.

“Very well. If you want to let our swords do the talking, I have no problem with that. Let’s settle this with a duel!”

Kirito would make Heathcliff pay for all the pain he put him through.

*

“Just so we are clear, you don’t have to party with me after I win,” Kirito said, as the two of them waited for the duel to begin. Unsurprisingly, it turned into a big commercialized event.

“I know that, idiot,” she replied. “You agreed to that duel because you wanted to punch Commander in the face. I get it. If I didn’t know how outclassed I am against him, I would have volunteered to duel him myself.”

Kirito nodded. It was embarrassing how well Asuna understood him.

“I wanted to spend some time partying with you to catch a break from my guild. I never expected this to turn into such a big mess,” she admitted. 

“Don’t worry. I promise I will punch Heathcliff on your behalf as well,” he promised.

That seemed to cheer her up a bit, as she finally smiled.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess, but Commander’s _Sacred Sword_ is just too overpowered. I can’t even hope to match him.”

“I know, truthfully, I’m not completely sure which one of us will come out on top,” he admitted. “His defensive abilities are no joke.”

“Anyway, don’t worry about me. You have your own grievances to air to our Commander, don’t you?” she pointed out with a wink. “Make sure to show him not to take you for granted.”

Kirito sputtered at that, while Asuna walked off.

*

“My apologies. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this,” Heathcliff said, as the two of them stood in the arena with the crowd cheering around them.

It was hilarious that out of all the things Kirito was angry about, he chose to apologise for the most insignificant one.

“Since we can finally talk, I want to demand something else from you if I win,” Kirito said.

When Heathcliff turned towards him, he seemed to be far too pleased with himself. Like everything was going exactly as he planned. It pissed Kirito off.

“If I win, you will apologise to me,” Kirito demanded. “And don’t try to sidestep this. You should have let go of Asuna without dragging me into this. You owe me at least that much.”

Heathcliff was silent for a moment, his face not showing any emotion.

“Fine,” he said, while opening the menu and inviting Kirito to a duel. “I will apologize to you if you win. But only if you win.”

Kirito looked at the invitation that appeared before him. It was his last chance to withdraw. If he lost the fight he would have to join Knights of the Blood, even with all his unresolved feelings still hanging over him. It would be hell. 

However, now he had a reason why he had to win no matter what.

He accepted.

The second the countdown ended, Kirito lunged at his enemy. Unlike Heathcliff, he had little to no defensive options. He had to go on full offense right from the beginning, hoping that his speed would be enough to break through Heathcliff’s defense.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t easy. The first few strikes Kirito made simply bounced off Heathcliff’s shield, while the Commander waited for his chance. Kirito barely parried his well aimed counter, using the momentum of that attack to jump back and create some distance between them. Of course, Heathcliff wasn’t going to give Kirito a chance to regain the momentum. This time he was the one who closed the distance, raising his sword in preparation for the next attack. Kirito prepared himself for another parry, but he had misread the situation. 

It was a feint. The true attack came from Heathcliff’s left side, as he rammed the edge of his shield into Kirito’s stomach. The impact once more made Kirito fly. The damage from that attack wasn’t significant, but it didn’t need to be. It left Kirito vulnerable to the next few attacks that he barely managed to parry.

Things weren’t looking good.

Kirito activated one of his Sword Skills, launching a strong but straightforward attack. However, it merely slid off Heathcliff’s shield. The momentum carried Kirito a few steps forward, once more creating distance between him and Heathcliff.

“Your reaction time is impressive,” Heathcliff said, as if he was commenting on the weather.

It pissed off Kirito how unaffected Heathcliff seemed to be. From anyone else Kirito would probably take it as a compliment, but it felt like a slight when it came from Heathcliff.

Even now, he was more busy looking at Kirito’s skills than paying attention to Kirito himself. It was never about him. It was always about his potential to beat the game.

He should have realized this earlier. They might have been something akin to friends during the beta test, but being trapped in SAO twisted their relationship beyond recognition.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Kirito hissed, as he activated another Sword Skill.

Right, there was only one way to fix the situation. He had to beat up some sense into Heathcliff.

They charged at each other at the same time, exchanging attacks at blinding speed. Kirito was distantly aware of the cheering crowd, but it was nothing more than background noise.

He needed to be faster. Fast enough to create an opening in Heathcliff’s impenetrable defense. Kirito kept attacking, despite the fact that his swords just kept bouncing off Heathcliff’s shield.

And then one attack finally connected, grazing Heathcliff’s cheek. The damage was small, as Heathcliff managed to divert the brunt of the attack, but for Kirito, it was the glimmer of the hope he needed.

He could outspeed Heathcliff. He could win.

Kirito gave up on any sort of defense, activating two powerful Sword Skills in a row. Heathcliff was forced to concentrate on defending himself with the shield, but even then the impact of the first attack rattled him.

The second attack staggered Heathcliff, pushing his shield to the side.

It was the chance Kirito needed. He swung his sword, putting everything into this one strike. All his anger, longing and hopes. Everything he couldn’t communicate compressed into this one strike— 

—which bounced off Heathcliff’s shield.

Kirito could only stare in confusion. He should have hit. He was faster than Heathcliff. There was no way he could have recovered in such a short time. 

But he did and he struck Kirito back, ending the fight.

Kirito slowly pushed himself off the ground where he landed. Rather than frustration, he was filled with bewilderment. His attack should have connected.

He raised his head, expecting to see Heathcliff’s smug expression, but what he saw made Kirito even more confused. Heathcliff was glaring at him. He won and yet he looked extremely displeased. When he realized Kirito was looking at him, he turned away and left without a word.

Kirito raised his head to look at the blue sky above him.

He hoped that this fight would help close the fight between him and Heathcliff, but now he felt more distant from him than ever before.

*

“You look terrible in white. I think your brand as a Black Swordsman just died,” Asuna said, as she looked at Kirito, trying on his new guild outfit. The mirror told Kirito he looked as miserable as he felt.

“There really weren’t any outfits that looked more plain?” he asked.

“I’m not Commander. I don't put people through miserable experiences for my own amusement,” Asuna said, not hiding her distaste. “If there was something I would have brought it to you. You can try to talk with the Commander to have a custom outfit made if you want.”

Kirito sighed. Even though he was now a part of Knights of the Blood guild, he hadn’t seen Heathcliff since their fight in the arena. There was no doubt that he was purposefully avoiding Kirito now.

Kirito fell back on his bed with a loud sigh of frustration.

“I’m sorry I got you dragged into this,” Asuna said, probably misreading his response.

“No, don’t worry about it. I guess it was time I finally faced this,” he said. Kirito wasn’t completely sure what he meant when he said _this_. The tragic end of his previous guild? His fear of rejection that made him distance himself from people? His feelings for Heathcliff?

“I see. I’m glad,” she said with relief.

Kirito pushed himself up. Maybe it was time to face at least one of those things.

“In return would you listen to a story?” he asked, turning toward her. Asuna seemed to be surprised, but nodded resolutely. “It’s a story of a lonely beta tester who joined a small guild…”

*

It was slightly easier to face his new reality as a member of Knights of the Blood, now that he had told Asuna about his reason for avoiding guilds. He still felt deeply responsible for the deaths of Moonlit Black Cats. He would never forget them and how his carelessness resulted in their deaths.

However, it was slightly easier for Kirito to move forward now. 

Kirito still felt isolated within the walls of his new guild, but it was more bearable. Even when he had to separate from Asuna, who had to go resolve some conflict between two guildmates, Kirito found his loneliness bearable. The corridor was empty and Kirito could explore all he wanted without being bothered.

He was busy trying to see which of the doors were open when suddenly one of them swung open. Kirito barely avoided being hit, as he quickly stepped back, only to realize he wasn’t in the clear.

He was standing right before Heathcliff.

Well, just his luck to run into him so quickly.

“Oh, Heathcliff… I mean, guess I should call you Commander now,” Kirito said, feeling extremely conscious of himself.

Heathcliff just stared at him, as if he saw a ghost.

“Yes, you probably should,” Heathcliff said, somehow sounding almost as awkward as Kirito. “What are you doing here?”

“Asuna got dragged off for some important Vice-Commander business so I’ve been looking around on my own,” Kirito explained. “Say, do you really need so many rooms here? All members have their own living quarters, don’t they?”

Heathcliff sighed.

“We mostly use them for storage,” he explained, his voice tired. He seemed to be frustrated for some reason, which just made Kirito want to bother him more to get back at him.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Kirito continued before Heathcliff could excuse himself. He made sure to sound as upbeat as possible. “Can I get some custom-made version of the guild outfit? It’s nothing personal, but Asuna laughed at me for like five minutes when she saw me in it and I feel like it would lower morale if I appeared in it for the floor boss battle.”

“You are free to wear your usual outfit for floor boss battles. I agree people would probably feel more reassured seeing the familiar Black Swordsman,” Heathcliff said. He was trying to sound polite, but he couldn’t completely hide annoyance in his voice.

“That’s good to know!” Kirito said happily. “But still, I would love to get a custom outfit with a bit more black, if you know what I mean. Is there a guild tailor? Or do you make your orders in some affiliated shop?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m really busy right now,” Heathcliff said, finally deciding to use that excuse. “Asuna was the one who was supposed to explain all of this to you…”

“But she’s not here and I really don’t think you are as busy as you claim,” Kirito replied with a smile. “Since you went through so much effort to force me to join your guild, you should show some more hospitality. If you keep acting so cold, I may end up running away after all.”

Heathcliff looked like he wanted to say something strongly inhospitable to Kirito, but stopped himself at the last moment.

"Honestly, why do you have to make this so difficult?" Heathcliff asked, his voice exasperated. He finally gave up on trying to act like the guild leader.

"I could ask the same question. I would have probably joined your guild sooner, and without the two of us having an arena fight, if you didn't start acting like a complete asshole. It just made me want to stay away from your guild and Kuradeel sure didn't help to change that opinion."

"Come on Kirito, I know Kuradeel can be intense, but you should let go of whatever rivalry you two had. You are guildmates now," Heathcliff said, in a very transparent attempt to change the topic.

"I will consider it when he gets the guild mandated restraining order," Kirito promised.

Heathcliff gave him a critical look.

"I guess you two should just get to know each other better," he said, clearly deciding that this was the best way to get at Kirito. "I will pass that information to one of the guild officers."

"Wait, no!" Kirito shouted, realizing that his attempts to get back at Heathcliff had backfired. "You can't!"

However, Heathcliff was already walking off very quickly, pretending not to hear Kirito.

*

The one saving grace was that Kuradeel looked almost as miserable as Kirito, as the two of them got dragged off by Godfree. Kirito really doubted this supposed training had any purpose.

"Sharing a walk with your comrades will help you build a better bond!" Godfree assured them as he led them toward their destination. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Gofree was the type who hated conflict and his idea of removing the bad blood between Kirito and Kuradeel was to drag them through a dungeon so they can bond over that terrible experience. Not that he seemed to have a bad bone in his body, but somehow his utter lack of bad intentions just made the whole thing even worse.

"Okay, we'll take a break here!" Godfree announced when they walked into a path surrounded by cliffs. Kirito was at that point deeply engrossed into his escapist fantasy of running away from the Knights of the Blood together with Asuna so they could create their own guild that wouldn't force people to go on training exercises with players they hate and where everyone could wear whatever they liked. Also, Kuradeel would be eternally blacklisted from their hypothetical little guild.

Kirito caught the rations thrown his way. A bread so hard it was a miracle it hadn't perished yet and a bottle of water. Kirito couldn't help wishing Asuna was the one who prepared their portions. He bit into the bread to realize it tasted exactly as terrible as it looked. He quickly took a sip of water to cleanse his throat of the terrible taste. It was only then that he realized that Kuradeel hadn't started eating yet. Instead he was very intently looking at Kirito who was drinking his water.

Wait, _who_ exactly prepared their portions?

Kirito threw the bottle away, but that was the last thing he managed to do before the paralysis kicked in. 

It was a trap. The water was in fact a paralytic potion.

Kirito cursed at the fact that all his crystals had been taken by Godfree. He couldn't even heal himself from the paralysis right now. Curse the dumb training simulation.

"Use antidote crystal!" Kirito shouted at Godfree who still seemed to be in disbelief at the fact that Kuradeel had betrayed them, even though he had been laughing maniacally for a minute at this point. Godfree attempted to do the smart thing, but unfortunately Kuradeel was faster, kicking the crystal out of his hand. It landed far away, well outside Kirito's reach.

Kuradeel laughed at Godfree's slow-wittedness, before pulling out his sword.

Kirito could feel his heart stop as he heard Godfree's scream. He couldn't really see the moment when Kuradeel slashed him. Kuradeel was standing directly between Godfree and Kirito, his white cape almost completely blocking the view.

Somehow, the fact that Kirito couldn't see what was happening made it even worse. He could see Kuradeel move as he slashed and pierced his guildmate with the sword, but Kirito didn't see the moment of impact. He only heard the screams of pain and anguish, occasionally interrupted by Kuradeel's explanation of the fabricated story of their deaths he planned to share with the guild.

Kirito knew he would be next. He doubted Kuradeel's target was actually Godfree. No, the person Kuradeel was aiming for was the one he couldn't kill in a straight battle. The one who defeated him in a duel.

Godfree's shout was suddenly cut halfway through as the sound of shattering glass replaced it. Kirito could feel his heart sink as he saw the fragments of light disappear. Kuradeel breathed heavily, his voice eerily joyful.

Godfree was dead.

He was dead because he happened to take Kirito with him. Once more, Kirito's presence cost someone's life.

"Just because of a brat like you, I ended up having to kill an innocent person," Kuradeel spat out, as he slowly approached Kirito. Somehow this immediately stopped the guilt train Kirito was experiencing in its tracks because if Kuradeel thought it was true it had to be a load of crap.

"Despite killing him with a smile on your face?" Kirito hissed. "What are you even doing in a guild like Knights of the Blood? You should have applied to a PK one!"

At this point the only thing Kirito could do was try to buy some time by talking. The chance that someone would stumble upon them was low, but maybe Kirito could stall long enough for the paralysis to wear off.

"You've got good eyes," Kuradeel said with a smile, as he removed the armor on his hand to reveal a familiar tattoo.

"Laughing Coffin! So you were a part of PK guild!" Kirito shouted, immediately feeling much more fear. He thought Kuradeel just lost it due to his loss, but it seemed he had been a scoundrel long before that.

"Yes, that's where I learned how to make the paralysis poison. Speaking of which, I really shouldn't waste more time. It would be a shame if it wore off before I could kill you," he pointed out with a cruel smile.

Kirito could feel himself lose hope. There was no way to distract Kuradeel now.

Kuradeel stabbed his arm. Kirito could feel the pain and the uncomfortable feedback of the sword pushing against his arm. A gasp of pain escaped him, as he desperately stared at the status window hoping for the paralysis to disappear.

Kuradeel pulled the sword out and stabbed his leg next. Despite the pain, Kirito held back the shout of pain. He didn't want to give Kuradeel the satisfaction.

"What's it like being on the brink of death?" Kuradeel taunted him. "Come on, feel free to share!"

It was pretty terrible. If Kirito was honest he'd rather have perished while fighting with Gleam Eyes—slashing at the opponent with overwhelming power, so focused on winning that his life would disappear without Kirito even realizing it. The slow death when Kirito could do nothing, but stare at his dwindling health bar was the worst. It left him with too much time to think. Regrets were rushing through his mind, making Kirito feel overwhelmed. 

Kirito should have done so many things differently. He shouldn't have left Klein. He shouldn't have joined Black Moonlit Cats. He should have stopped the members of Aincrad Liberation Force from going to fight Gleam Eyes. He should have put more effort into helping Asuna leave her guild rather than get baited into a fight.

He messed up so much. 

"Come on, say something!" Kuradeel taunted him, as he pulled the sword out of Kirito's leg.

And then he stabbed him in the stomach.

Kirito's health immediately plunged and the bar turned red. He barely had any health left.

He closed his eyes. It was over. He would die with all his regrets left unresolved. Maybe it was meant to be that way. It was strange that Kirito survived for so long in this crazy game. He really wasn't cut out for it, despite what Heathcliff said…

...Heathcliff.

Kirito opened his eyes, as he suddenly remembered him.

Despite the paralysis, Kirito managed to reach the blade sticking out of his stomach and pull it upwards.

He couldn't die here. He hadn't resolved things with Heathcliff. Kirito still hadn't gotten his apology. The two of them still hadn't openly talked about their argument.

"Oh, so you _are_ afraid of dying!" Kuradeel said with delight as he saw Kirito keep the sword away from his wound.

"That's right. I can't die just yet."

He still hadn't told Heathcliff how he felt.

Kirito put all his strength into stopping the sword, but he couldn't do it. Kuradeel easily overpowered him, making the sword slowly stab him deeper and deeper. Kirito's health was once more falling

Kirito could feel the strength leave him, as his vision became redder. His hand fell down limply, as the paralysis overtook him once more.

It was over. Kirito watched as his health inevitably reached its limits until— 

There was a sudden flash of green light that almost blinded him. Kuradeel seemed to disappear from his vision, as did the feeling of a sword stabbing his stomach. Kirito felt disorientated. Was this how death felt in the game?

However, the very next second he saw Asuna, who quickly used a crystal.

"Heal," she said, looking extremely distressed. Kirito's bar recovered back into full health. "Thank god, I made it."

Asuna saved him. Kirito felt a deep sense of relief fill him when he realized he really wasn't dead.

"I saw Godfree's marker disappear, so I rushed here thinking something happened," she explained. As she suddenly turned her head, Kirito realized that Kuradeel had recovered. He was spouting some lies, his confidence dead now that he had to confront Asuna. "Now wait here, I will take care of things."

Asuna rushed toward Kuradeel, deaf to his excuses.

He stood no chance. Asuna quickly executed several precise attacks that easily took more than half of his health. Faced with her superior strength, he quickly cowered on the ground.

"Please don't kill me!" he begged. Asuna stopped her sword, probably realizing she came close to doing just that. Still, she kept her sword aimed at him, visibly not trusting Kuradeel.

However, they got distracted as an unexpected person suddenly appeared.

"Kirito!"

Kirito's eyes widened, as he recognized the voice. As did Asuna, who turned in its direction.

"Commander?"

"What happened here?" Heathcliff asked, looking bewildered.

That distraction was all Kuradeel needed to regain his momentum. He slashed at Asuna with a dagger he must have kept hidden and then immediately threw it at Heathcliff. Luck was on Kuradeel's side, because Heathcliff was standing with his shieldless side facing him.

Realizing he didn't have time to move his shield or draw the sword, Heathcliff raised his hand to let the dagger pierce it rather than his torso.

It was a mistake.

"Well, the paralysis lasts for a shorter time, but I guess it's a good thing I prepared this dagger just in case," Kuradeel said, stepping over Asuna's paralysed body. "I will now have to kill two more people. What a pain. But I guess it can't be helped!"

His smile was psychotic, as he picked up his sword and quickly approached Heathcliff. With the dagger still sticking out of his shoulder, Heathcliff was completely paralysed. He seemed to be trying to reach for a crystal, but Kuradeel stabbed his hand, stopping him.

"They say nobody has ever seen your health turn yellow! Looks like I will achieve quite a feat today!" he said, as he laughed.

Kirito looked at Asuna, but she seemed to be struggling to pull out her crystal. The paralysis must have hit her quite strongly. Kirito turned his head to look at Heathcliff. For the first time Kirito saw him look truly panicked. Even when facing the most powerful floor bosses Heathcliff rarely showed fear, but right now as his health was slowly dwindling, he looked terrified.

It was so wrong. Kirito's stomach seemed to twist at the sight.

Kirito wasn't sure when he moved. He didn't even notice his paralysis wearing off.

All he knew was that in the very next moment his hand stabbed through Kuradeel, as he activated the Sword Skill, Embracer. 

It was almost unreal. Kuradeel heard him coming, so he turned in his direction, but he didn't manage to pull his sword out of Heathcliff's hand in time. Kirito pierced straight through Kuradeel's gut with no resistance. Even now his hand was buried inside Kuradeel's chest, making the two of them stand uncomfortably close. Kuradeel harked and his body went limp, falling on top of Kirito's. 

"You damn murderer," Kuradeel hissed, right before his body shattered into fragments of light. As the tension left Kirito's body, he ended up falling to his knees.

Even after Kuradeel disappeared, Kirito's hand still felt like it was piercing someone's body. How strange. Was that a problem with the feedback from Nervegear? Was that also the reason why Kirito felt sick? Or was it—?

_You damn murderer._

That's right. He did it. He killed another player.

The reality seemed to crush all around him, as Kirito had to face the fact that his hands were now stained with blood. Sure, he couldn't see it in this virtual world, but it didn't make his crime any less real. 

He wasn't any better than the scum from Laughing Coffin.

"Thank you, Kirito," Heathcliff said. Now that his hand had been freed, he finally managed to use the crystal to remove paralysis. Asuna seemed to have done the same. "You saved us."

Heathcliff wasn't even in bad shape. He lost about one third of his health, so his bar was still green. Kirito shouldn't have rushed. He should have thought of a way to disarm Kuradeel without killing him. He had enough leeway to do that.

But no, instead he panicked when he saw that Heathcliff was in danger and murdered someone. Way to go, Kirito.

Heathcliff seemed to realize that Kirito was feeling down, as he extended his hand to him.

"I know this must have been difficult, but you did the right thing," Heathcliff assured him. Kirito stared at his hand, then at him.

Was it really? Kirito wanted to believe it was true. He knew Asuna was standing behind him, but she wasn't saying anything. It was up to Kirito to decide if what he did was right. And what he thought was...

"Like hell it was!" he shouted, slapping away Heathcliff's hand. Kirito's knees still felt weak, but he pushed himself to stand up. "We… I could have solved this without killing him. Sure, he was an asshole. I wanted him gone from the guild. But I didn't want him gone _for good_."

Heathcliff seemed taken back by that response.

"But Kirito he had almost killed you…" Heathcliff's response felt weak for once.

"Yes, so what? Who are you to decide that killing people is right?!" he shouted.

Kirito could tell his anger was misplaced. It wasn't Heathcliff that he was truly angry at. He was angry at Kayaba for trapping him in this twisted world and he was angry at Kuradeel for not giving up when he could. However, the former wasn't here and the latter was dead.

So instead, Kirito shouted at Heathcliff. He was partially responsible, since it was his oversight that led to Kuradeel killing Godfree and almost committing more murders. So Kirito vented all his frustrations at Heathcliff, even if it was unfair.

"Say, are you satisfied now?" Kirito shouted. He was keeping his hand that landed the killing blow away from his body. It felt unclean. "You always went on how I should be prepared to kill Kayaba. So are you satisfied now that I was forced to kill someone?! Was this what you wanted?!"

Heathcliff for once didn't seem to have an answer. He just stared at Kirito with an unhappy expression.

"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have to dirty my hands. Because you ignored me and Asuna when we told you something was off about Kuradeel. You didn't care about us. Godfree died. _I_ almost died. You and Asuna were in danger. Why? Because you didn't do your job as a Commander! Why did you even start a guild if you are just going to ignore your duties?" 

Kirito realized his vision was blurry. He felt weak, angry and tired. He had enough of everything.

"Why do you always have to push everything on me?" Kirito asked. He was no longer shouting, his voice barely had any strength in it. "I never asked for any of this. I just wanted to survive. I… I thought you understood that much."

Heathcliff was still quiet. That lack of response got to Kirito more than anything. His knees finally gave in and Kirito felt himself fall backwards. Heathcliff extended his hand, but he wasn't the one who caught Kirito.

"Me and Kirito will be taking a break from our guild duties," Asuna announced, as she stopped Kirito's fall. "This isn't a request. Neither of us is in the shape to continue fighting on the front lines."

Heathcliff was quiet for a moment. Seeing how cold his gaze was, Kirito expected him to refuse, but Heathcliff's next words surprised him.

"I understand. However, we will call you when the next floor boss is discovered," he said. His voice felt empty as if his thoughts were far away.

"I won't promise anything," Asuna replied coldly, as she steered Kirito away from Heathcliff. However, his voice still reached Kirito.

"Even if you won't come, he will," Heathcliff said with so much certainty, Kirito could feel his heart clench. "Take your time. I will be waiting for your return to the frontlines, Kirito."

He didn't say anything more. He didn't need to. Kirito could still feel those unspoken words trail after him like a curse, as Asuna helped him walk away.

 _I now know for certain, you will destroy Kayaba with your own hands._

*

The place Asuna chose was quiet—a house in the middle of forest, away from the front lines, guilds, and life or death struggles. Not that Kirito could appreciate it all that much when all he was doing was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

He thought Asuna would get angry at him after three days, but she just kept cooking for him and trying to talk with him a few times. Kirito had a feeling taking care of him was her own way of dealing with all the terrible things that had happened, so he decided to let her be.

On the fifth day, she managed to talk him into leaving the house. She ended up piggybacking him through most of their walk, when Kirito realized he couldn't muster the energy to walk further than a few steps away from their abode.

He didn't hate the feeling as he watched the trees move by. It was reassuring to have Asuna around, even if he felt like she shouldn't be wasting her time on a murderer like him.

*

During their walk they found a lost child. They ended up taking her with them. She quickly got attached to Asuna, even calling her mom. Kirito on his part kept his distance. He didn't want to scare the child.

Despite that, he still accompanied Asuna and Yui in their search for Yui's parents. He hated the idea of staying alone in the empty house, constantly wondering if the two of them were okay.

Things didn't end up okay, when they discovered that Yui was in fact a rogue AI. In the last ditch effort to save her, Kirito managed to code her into Asuna's avatar. Hopefully, she would be able to restore her once she was freed from the game.

He had to free her and everyone else from the game.

*

Kirito tried to spend the next few days outside the house, mostly not wanting to burden Asuna anymore. He bought a fishing rod, hoping that it would take his mind off things, but as it turned out fishing was all about having way too much time to think. The fishes weren't biting and all Kirito could do was wonder how things were going on the front lines. Kirito knew Heathcliff was probably doing fine. His icon was still active on Kirito's friend list.

If Kirito wanted he could write him a message. Pretend it was the old days when their biggest problems were miscellaneous bugs plaguing SAO. Pretend nothing changed.

...who was he kidding? Everything had changed. Kirito had now killed someone. When all people who had been trapped inside the game woke up there would be one less and it would be Kirito's fault. Sure, Kuradeel wasn't blameless, but neither was Kirito.

And now that he killed Kuradeel, would it matter if he killed Kayaba?

Kirito tightened the grip on his fishing rod.

He understood it was necessary and possibly inevitable. Heathcliff was most probably right, as this world's creator Kayaba had to be somewhere inside, waiting to face off against the people trapped inside. It made some sort of twisted sense that this would be the case.

But why did it have to be Kirito? There were so many other players—players who probably didn't look up to Kayaba half as much as Kirito did. In those unchanging days of his lonely real life, Kayaba was one of few bright spots. A genius who changed the world through his vision and love for virtual reality. Kirito wanted to be like him, he wanted to create a sprawling world of his dreams that would feel more real than the dull reality.

It scared him that on some base level he could see why Kayaba twisted this world into an inescapable trap. As long as people could log out, Sword Art Online would be nothing more than a game. Merely a pastime for people bored with reality. Kayaba probably wanted more than that. A wanted to create a world, not just a game world.

It was obviously wrong and inexcusable. The very idea that he was willing to sacrifice people's lives for his grand design was sickening. But at the same time there was a twisted beauty to the world he created. Kirito wanted to escape from it, but at the same time the knowledge that once he did that he would never be able to return to Aincrad made him inexplicably sad.

Kirito had experienced so many painful and terrible things here, but he had also found happiness and forged bonds he wouldn't have otherwise. Mixed in with his hatred towards Kayaba there was also unspoken gratitude. If it wasn't for him, Kirito wouldn't have been able to meet Heathcliff and Asuna. But, at the same time, Kayaba was the one who poisoned his relationship with Heathcliff. It was the argument about killing him that drove them apart.

"Damn it!" Kirito only realized he threw the rod down when it hit the jetty with a rattle. He stared at it for a short moment, before crouching. "Is that the only way to make him happy?"

The idea of killing someone still sickened Kirito. No matter how much pain and suffering Kayaba caused, murdering him would make Kirito no better than those bastards from Laughing Coffin. However, it was probably the only way to escape from this twisted game and Heathcliff expected Kirito to be able to do it. If Kirito was successful then maybe, just maybe Heathcliff would look at him as a true equal and…

No, that was wrong.

"Why am I like this?" Kirito asked, as he stared at the water.

The surface of the lake was far too peaceful. The fake tranquility only exhausted Kirito more. He knew he should rest his fatigued mind and body, but it was impossible. His longing only made him restless.

He wanted to return to the frontlines. To get back to where Heathcliff was.

*

Asuna was much less excited than Kirito was when they received the summons from Heathcliff. She complained all the way to the teleportation gate.

"I knew it's probably important, but it's still rude to call us back from our leave," she said, as she stomped angrily forward.

"You can stay behind you know," Kirito reminded her. "As I said, I'm fine with going alone and telling Heathcliff you didn't feel well enough to—"

She immediately turned around to give him an annoyed stare.

"No! Last time I left you alone you almost died! I'm making sure you're staying within my sight! Especially when the Commander is the one who is supposed to be guaranteeing your safety."

Kirito sighed. Their leave of absence from the guild didn't seem to have cooled down the emotions Asuna had about Heathcliff's mismanagement. Not that Kirito didn't understand where she was coming from, but he already felt exhausted at the thought of having to mediate between them.

"For now we are only going to hear him out. If we don't like his reasons, we can leave," he reminded her.

Not that Kirito planned to leave. As annoyed as he still was at Heathcliff, he knew he would still follow him into the boss lair if asked to. Still, just because Kirito stopped making sensible choices some time ago, it didn't mean he wanted to drag Asuna with him. If it wasn't for her he wouldn't be alive right now and he planned to do everything in his power to make sure that she lived to see the end of Aincrad.

He would never forgive himself if she didn't.

*

"The whole scouting party was wiped out?!"

It seemed that the floor boss for the 75th floor came with a rather annoying quirk. They would have to go into the battle completely blind and adapt on the fly.

No wonder Heathcliff wanted the best of the best for the job. Even Asuna ended up begrudgingly agreeing to join the raid, knowing that her presence could make a huge difference.

"I assume you are going to join too, right, Kirito?" Heathcliff said, as if it was obvious that Kirito would.

It irked Kirito. Was he so easy to read? However, Kirito found himself smiling. Two could play the game and the fact that Kirito was needed for this raid gave him an opportunity he needed.

"Yes, but I have one condition. I need to have a talk with you before the raid, Commander. Privately," Kirito said.

"Is it necessary?" Heathcliff asked, sounding uncomfortable with the idea.

"I've been backstabbed by the member of this guild just two weeks ago. It would ease my worries if I could have an honest conversation with our Commander about that incident. Last time we saw each other I had rather rudely shouted at him. I want to privately apologize for my behaviour so I can go into battle without worrying about it," Kirito explained. He could see other high ranking members of Knights of the Blood looking at each other. Judging by their expressions Heathcliff didn't tell them what happened.

He now had a choice of either explaining exactly what happened to everyone in the room or accepting Kirito's offer to extend a private apology.

Heathcliff sighed.

"Fine. I accept."

*

The room Heathcliff took him to was a small office. It seemed to be located in a less frequented wing of the guild. 

"I don't think you have anything to apologize for," Heathcliff said as soon as he closed the doors. "In case you actually meant to, though I suspect this was nothing more than a ploy."

Kirito crossed his arms, as he leaned against the wall.

"You wound me, Commander," he said, making sure to put emphasis on the last word.

Heathcliff sighed, as he pulled a chair to sit on it.

"If you expect an apology from me, I'm afraid I can't give you one," Heathcliff continued. "So I'm afraid this will be nothing more than a waste of time for you." 

"I honestly didn't expect one given your recent attitude, but just for the record, why are you so opposed to giving me one?"

Heathcliff looked out of the window for a moment, as if to collect his thoughts.

"While the whole incident was unfortunate and putting your life in danger wasn't my intention, it ultimately led to an outcome I desired. That's why any apology I would offer you would be hollow. And I know you well enough to realize that you would only find my empty apology offending," he explained.

Kirito found himself annoyed with the answer.

"Do you want to return to the real world so much?" Kirito asked. Heathcliff blinked at him, visibly caught off guard. "If you are going to push me into becoming a murderer, I at least want to know why. You owe me at least that much."

Heathcliff chuckled. It was a humorless laugh.

"I guess, I do owe you that much," he admitted. "Say, Kirito, have you thought about what is currently happening to our bodies in the real world?"

"Eh?"

Heathcliff looked at him, his gaze steely.

"They are slowly rotting away in the hospitals. Without movement, the muscles are slowly deteriorating. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that if the game isn't completed within the next year we might start losing people due to the problems with their real world bodies."

Kirito could feel himself tense up.

"That's why the game must be cleared as soon as possible. If it isn't, we might lose the race against time," he explained. "Everybody knows that if you die here, you will also die in real life, but people seem to forget that reverse is also true. If their bodies die, their avatars will disappear."

Kirito found himself swallowing.

"So that's why you are trying to clear floor bosses so quickly?" Kirito asked.

"We already lost more than a third of the players we started with. If this goes on there might not be enough players to clear this game. That's why I'm so desperately holding on to talented players like you and Asuna."

And then it clicked to Kirito. The reason why Heathcliff was pushing so hard for him to become someone capable of facing Kayaba…

"...you want me to be your substitute," Kirito said, as realization hit him. "In case something happens to you."

"So you figured it out," Heathcliff said, sounding somewhat proud. 

"Why didn't you talk with me about it?"

"You are a frontline fighter through and through. Preparing you for confrontation with Kayaba was in line with what you were doing. But taking over the guild in case I died? That's a completely different matter. I hoped you would join my guild earlier so you could naturally integrate into it, but things… didn't go as planned."

"Wouldn't Asuna be enough?" Kirito asked. Before she started to distrust Heathcliff Asuna seemed like a natural choice for his successor.

"She's certainly an inspiring figure, but especially in her earlier days she struggled with understanding finer details of the guild's work. She had an unfortunate tendency to bulldoze through problems, which did work for her when it came to the battlefield, but not so much when it came to interpersonal relationships."

Kirito could certainly see that. Asuna was a very intense person by nature and the first fifty floors of Aincrad seemed to have pulled to the forefront some of her worse qualities. Not that Kirito would ever hold that against her. She still took the whole trapped inside the deadly game thing better than him.

"I would still prefer for her to be the leader. She's way more inspiring than I will ever be," Kirito admitted.

Heathcliff narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't sell yourself short. You _are_ a very inspiring figure. Divisive, maybe. But few who saw you fighting on the frontlines felt like you didn't earn your place there," Heathcliff said, sounding like he truly believed what he was saying.

Kirito could feel his ears burn at that unexpected compliment.

"No… that's not really…" he muttered, reflexively trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Now, now, no need for false modesty. You did almost best me in a fight," Heathcliff pointed out. However, his encouragement turned wistful halfway through. Kirito wondered why he looked so dejected remembering their fight, when he was the one who won it. "Anyway, we need to clear the game quickly before it becomes impossible. This battle will be an important step."

The change of topic felt slightly forced, but Kirito didn't comment on it. 

"Yes, this dungeon will probably be extremely challenging," he agreed. Kirito didn't mean to sound like he was afraid, but his anxieties must have gotten the better of him because Heathcliff approached him.

"Now, don't look so down. I agree that this will be a dangerous fight and we definitely should watch out, but we cleared all the previous dungeons. I have no doubt we will succeed this time as well," Heathcliff reassured him.

"I know… it's just. It's been more difficult ever since I almost died. Or rather since Kuradeel came close to killing me. I almost died when fighting Gleam Eyes, but at that time the danger didn't even register properly. But when I was paralyzed I had time to think… too much time to think. And ever since then I just can't get it out of my mind. I struggled with it before too. Ever since my former guild members died, but now it's even worse and I…"

Kirito knew he was rambling at this point, but he couldn't stop. Some part of him desperately wanted for Heathcliff to acknowledge that hurt part of him. Maybe try to cheer him up.

Not because Kirito could potentially clear the game, but because there was a value to him beyond his skills and potential. He wanted to believe that even if he couldn't kill bosses and use _Dual Wielding_ Heathcliff would have still taken notice of him. That he would still invite him to his guild. That he would still want to cheer him up.

Heathcliff didn't seem to know what to do about Kirito's sudden rumblings. He just froze in place for a moment, before coughing into his hand in a feeble attempt to try and change the atmosphere.

"Don't worry. The members of this guild wouldn't die so easily. You should have more faith in them," Heathcliff was trying to be reassuring, but it came off unconvincing. Like he was reading a script, rather than speaking his own words of encouragement.

"Two of them died before my eyes just two weeks ago. I killed one of them with my own hands!" Kirito shouted. It was bad. His hands were shaking and it felt like they were dirty again. Kirito was afraid to even look at them. Without thinking he thrust them forward, tangling them into Heathcliff's loose robe. It helped Kirito steady himself a bit.

He didn't dare look upwards. He kept his head hung, silently waiting for Heathcliff's response.

"It wasn't your fault," Heathcliff said. This time he did sound more sincere. "You were right when you accused me of poor oversight. There's no reason for you to beat yourself up over it."

"Someone died because of me!" Kirito insisted. "Don't talk about it like it's nothing!"

Heathcliff was quiet for a moment. Finally, he gently put his hands on Kirito's shoulders.

"I understand why you are upset, but you should focus on the present rather than the past. You can't do anything for people who have already died, but you can make sure that we keep the casualties to a minimum during the upcoming floor boss raid. That's why you should keep your head up and show them the strength of Black Swordsman."

Kirito was silent as he thought over Heathcliff's words.

"Is that what you were doing?" Kirito asked quietly. "Showing a strong front before everyone?"

"I'm not nearly as virtuous as people make me out to be," Heathcliff admitted. "I founded Knights of the Blood for selfish reasons."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to clear the game," Kirito insisted. "Everybody is doing it for selfish reasons."

"You are right," Heathcliff answered quickly. Too quickly, but Kirito couldn't figure out why the fast answer rubbed him the wrong way. "Do you have something to return to?"

"I want to see my family again," Kirito said, but it wasn't an honest answer. They weren't even his true family. He'd been distancing himself from them long before he logged into Sword Art Online. "Actually, no, I think I just want to leave."

"Don't you like this world?" Heathcliff asked. He sounded somehow wistful.

"I don't really hate it," Kirito admitted. "But I can't stay here forever. I don't care that much about myself, but I want everyone else to be able to return to their own lives. I want Asuna to be able to return to school. Klein and his guild deserve to be able to enjoy themselves without constantly risking their lives. There's just… there just isn't a future for them in this world."

"That's certainly true," Heathcliff agreed.

Kirito found himself raising his head slightly.

"What about you? Is there something you wish to return to?" Kirito asked before he could think twice about it. He wanted to know if there was someone waiting for Heathcliff out there in the real world, which felt so distant right now. 

"Not really," Heathcliff admitted. "I don't have any family or anyone like that."

Kirito realized something didn't add up.

"Then why are you trying so hard to clear the game?" he asked, unable to completely hide his unease.

This didn't make sense. People usually didn't talk about the lives they left behind. It was a sensitive topic, so it was rude to ask about it. Kirito only did it because Heathcliff asked him first, so it felt fair to ask him the same question in return. However, Kirito always assumed that people like Asuna and Heathcliff had put so much effort in because they had something to return to.

Except, Heathcliff just admitted he didn't.

"Ah, I guess it sounds strange coming from me," Heathcliff said. "How to explain it… I don't really want to clear the game to return, but rather to have revenge on Kayaba for trapping me here."

"You want to kill him?" Kirito asked, feeling dread. However, Heathcliff gently shook his head.

"No, I doubt he even values his life that much. What I want to destroy is the very game he had created."

And then it dawned on Kirito.

"If we clear the game, SAO will be destroyed?!"

"Exactly, everyone will be logged out and the game will never be accessed again," Heathcliff explained. "This project meant everything to Kayaba, so I can't imagine a better revenge against him than destroying the world he cared so much about."

"That…" That made sense. Kirito never thought of it that way, but it was true. However, at the same time he felt like it wasn't everything there was to it. Sure, Kayaba was clearly invested in SAO, but at the same time the game had been clearable so far.

Would completing it really be something going against Kayaba's wishes?

"That's why I want this game to be cleared at any cost," Heathcliff continued. He seemed to be too caught up in his thoughts to notice Kirito's doubts. There was a satisfied smile on his face that seemed more genuine than the one he usually wore. It seemed almost childish in how pure it looked.

Kirito wanted him to keep smiling like that.

"I will clear the game." It took him a moment to realize he had said it. He almost wanted to take those words back, but he couldn't. Not when Heathcliff was standing so close and looking at Kirito with so much happiness.

"Really?"

"Y-yeah, but in return I want you to listen to what I have to say right now. Don't interrupt me." 

Heathcliff looked confused, but he nodded, taking his hands off Kirito's shoulders. His face was serious and he seemed intent to listen. Kirito took a breath. It was now or never.

"I like you," he admitted. Heathcliff just stared at him. Kirito could tell he was taken aback, even though his expression didn't change too much. "I've liked you even before we started fighting which was why it was so hard for me to forgive you. I didn't tell you, because I doubted you would take me seriously, but now that we are going to face this unknown floor boss, it just… it might be the last chance I get to say it." Kirito lowered his head. He couldn't maintain eye contact with Heathcliff anymore. "You don't have to answer me. I just wanted you to know."

Kirito finally let go of Heathcliff's robe and turned around. He walked to the door without turning around.

"Kirito!" Kirito's hand froze, as he was reaching for the handle. He didn't dare to move. Heathcliff's voice sounded different. There was some emotion that Kirito had never heard before, but he couldn't describe it. "I can tell you were serious."

Kirito could tell it was all the response he would get, but it was more than he'd expected.

He closed the door behind him without a word.

*

The gathering before the 75th floor boss raid was pretty grim. Kirito was glad when he and Asuna ran into Klein and Agil. Talking with them helped him calm down a bit, but as soon as they all walked into the boss room the tension could be cut with the knife.

The room was pitch black with no boss in sight. It was only when Asuna shouted that everyone looked above to see the floor boss—a centipede-like bone abomination, Skull Reaper. 

A few players got wiped when it landed. It slashed through the experienced frontline fighters with just one attack. Kirito felt dread, as he watched them disappear right before his eyes.

It had to be impossible.

Heathcliff was able to intercept its attack, but he couldn't keep the aggro. The boss rushed through the platform wiping out another player, before Kirito barely managed to parry its attack. Heathcliff appeared a moment later blocking the slashing attack aimed at Kirito. Asuna appeared a moment later, helping Kirito repel the attack. After that the three of them kept blocking Skull Reaper's attacks, while other players kept attacking it from the sides.

It was a long and grueling fight. The attacks capable of killing in one hit kept flying towards them. It was only thanks to the flawless teamwork where he, Asuna and Heathcliff constantly kept dodging and protecting each other that the three of them survived this long.

When the fight finally ended, Kirito and Asuna collapsed against each other.

Nobody even had enough strength left to get excited about the drops. Kirito hadn't seen morale this low ever since the 25th floor boss raid.

"How many did we lose?" Klein asked. Kirito wanted to check, but he was using a healing crystal and couldn't check immediately.

"Fourteen," someone replied, their voice full of dejection.

Murmurs immediately spread throughout the boss room.

"Can we really make it to the top?"

"There's no way!"

"I don't want to go through this ever again!"

Kirito turned his head to look at Heathcliff. He was the only person standing. His gaze was distant. He seemed to be somehow unsatisfied with the current situation.

Well, it wasn't surprising. If he wanted the game to be cleared, he needed morale to stay high. After all, the game needed to be difficult, but not too difficult. Aside from the powerful bosses on 25th, 50th and now this floor, the bosses in SAO were pretty satisfying from an objective point of view. Difficult, but not too punishing. Enough to keep the players moving— 

And then Kirito realized it. Kayaba wanted them to clear the game. Sword Art Online was designed so that there would be hope of clearing it. Sure, there were twenty five floors left, but Kirito was certain that they too had been designed to be clearable.

Kirito silently pushed himself upwards and then rushed forward before anyone realized what he was doing, aiming his sword at Heathcliff.

Several hours earlier Kirito wouldn't be able to even imagine himself attacking him, but things had changed since then. He made a promise and he gained the last clue he needed to figure out the mystery that was Kayaba Akihiko. It was as if everything clicked into place at once. 

As Kirito's blade reached Heathcliff it got deflected with a loud sound and the message IMMORTAL OBJECT appeared for everyone to see.

As the echo of Kirito's strike ended, the world seemed eerily silent for a second, as everyone tried to understand what they were seeing.

"You have a system-granted immortality?!" Asuna said in disbelief, as she followed after Kirito, probably alarmed by his sudden behavior.

"His HP is protected by the system so it never falls into the yellow zone. It's only natural that the administrator would be granted such a privilege. Isn't that right, Kayaba Akihiko?" Kirito hissed, as he raised himself.

Alarmed murmurs rang through the room.

'"I didn't think you would figure it out," Kayaba admitted, not looking at all phased by the reveal of his true identity. "Though I guess the fact that you knew I was a part of the development team was a strong hint."

"Quite contrary. I would have never thought that Kayaba Akihiko himself would interact with beta testers. I only realized it due to the strange glitch during our battle and when you slipped about wanting to clear the game."

"Yes, I was afraid that my panicked use of over-assist mode during that fight was suspicious. Though I hoped you would disregard it since it was so similar to a bug you helped remove during beta tests," Kayaba admitted. He seemed far too relaxed for the situation, but Kirito also felt strangely calm. It was as if some part of Kirito suspected the truth for a long time and now that it had come to light, he didn't feel surprised or angry. There was a feeling of inevitability to it, as if their interactions during beta tests were destined to end up in the confrontation they were having right now.

"Yes, that was my initial assumption. I only became suspicious after you told me you wanted to clear the game to have revenge against Kayaba. It didn't make sense. After all, the games are made to be played and completed. Which Heathcliff should have known as a part of SAO's development team. That was when I realized it was a lie."

"I see, once you figured that out it wouldn't be difficult to figure out the rest."

"The reason why you were so desperately trying to recruit me was because you were planning to play the role of the final boss and you needed me to take your place as the strongest player," Kirito continued with his deductions.

"Yes, though it seems my plans will have to be accelerated," he replied. As he was saying that, several players attempted to attack him from behind, but their weapons were easily stopped by the system's immortality. Kayaba clicked his tongue, opened his menu and clicked something.

Immediately, everyone except Kirito fell down stricken with paralysis. Kirito crouched, as he caught Asuna before she fell to the floor.

"Are you planning to run away?" Kirito hissed, looking at his immobilized companions.

"I only planned to enter the final dungeon once the Clearing Group reached the 95th floor, but I will have to part ways here. However, it would be rather unsatisfying for you. That's why as a reward for guessing my true identity I will give you a chance. You can choose to duel me right here and now, one-on-one. If you defeat me the game will be considered cleared."

Kirito fell silent at that. He didn't expect this moment to come so soon.

"Don't listen. He's trying to trick you," Asuna muttered, still fighting against the effect of paralysis.

"No, this will be a fair duel to death. No immortality or over-assist from the system," Kayaba assured them. To prove it, he even opened his menu and a moment later Kirito saw the notice above Kayaba's head signalling he lost immortality status. "So what will it be?"

"It's fine, Asuna. He means it," Kirito said, as he slowly stood up to face Kayaba. "You were really dissatisfied with your win in the battle arena, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was rather frustrated with myself," Kayaba agreed, as he pulled his sword.

"I will never forgive you if you die, Kirito!" Asuna shouted. "You have to win this fight!"

"Don't worry, I will," Kirito assured her. "I will protect you."

"If you die, I'm fighting Kayaba right after you," she threatened.

Now he really had to win. He knew Asuna meant it and would charge at Kayaba regardless of her chances. She was skilled, but Kirito wasn't sure if she would be able to win against Kayaba in a solo battle.

Kirito wasn't sure if _he_ would be able to win against Kayaba.

Still, he made a promise. No, at this point he'd made several promises to end this game. Some of them were small, some of them were big, but many people had put their faith into Kirito, including Kayaba. And now Kirito was ready to answer them.

"Just one question, did you choose to give me the _Dual Wielding_ skill?"

Heathcliff shook his head in denial.

"No, the system was set up to automatically grant it to the player with the fastest reaction time. I only tampered with the system to get my own Unique Skill. All others would be given out by the system for excelling in certain aspect. Is that all you wanted to know?" Kirito nodded, glad that it was the case. It made him feel like he really earned the right to face off against Kayaba.

Kirito smiled. He expected this moment to be painful, but somehow the smile on his face was serene.

"Let's start this. I'm going to kill you, Kayaba," he promised and then launched forward.

He couldn't rely on the same strategy as last time. Back then he'd overwhelmed Kayaba with a constant Sword Skill spam, but he also had the element of surprise on his side. Now that Kayaba knew how fast he was, there was no way Kirito could surprise him with any Sword Skill.

So he didn't use them.

Kirito felt grateful for all the kendo training he'd done in real life. Thanks to it, he was able to wield a sword even without the game's assistance. The months of fighting in SAO helped him polish his skills. Kirito cut and slashed, relying only on his speed and abilities.

Kayaba had adapted as well. This time rather than focusing on defense, he kept countering Kirito's attacks, constantly alternating between defense and offense.

They clashed, each strike executed with the intention to kill. Kirito jumped around, hoping to find an opening, but Kayaba kept defending with his shield. After one successful defense, Kayaba managed to counter, slashing at Kirito. The wound wasn't deep. Kirito managed to dodge at the last moment, however sustaining damage made him panic. He activated a Sword Skill on reflex, before he realized what he was doing.

As Kirito launched a flurry of attacks, he knew it was over. All his strikes slid uselessly off Kayaba's shield. When the combo ended there would be a short delay before Kirito could move and they both knew it. Kirito could see the mixture of vainglory and disappointment on Kayaba's face.

As the combo ended, Kirito could only watch as Heathcliff raised his sword to execute his strike. Kirito was desperately trying to move, but the system-imposed delay wouldn't let him defend himself in time.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Asuna shouted, parrying the attack. Both Kirito and Heathcliff stared at her in shock. She tried to stab Heathcliff after that, but he managed to step back it in time.

"Asuna!" Kirito shouted in surprise.

"Like hell I'm letting you do this alone. I have my grievances towards Kayaba too," she hissed. She looked pained. Kirito wondered if it was an effect of paralysis.

"This isn't a one-on-one duel anymore," Kayaba complained. "Though it is impressive you broke out of paralysis with sheer willpower.

"And this game isn't the fun online experience you advertised! So don't try to act like you are the victim here!" she hissed.

"Indeed. That would be unsightly," Kayaba agreed. He slashed at her, but this time it was Kirito who parried his attack.

"Let's take him down, Asuna!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" she shouted, activating a Sword Skill.

Despite Asuna joining the fight, they were pretty evenly matched. Forcibly breaking out of paralysis seemed to have taken a toll on Asuna. Her attacks were slightly slower than usual, making them easier for Kayaba to defend against. However, her presence gave Kirito some much needed breathing room between his frantic attacks.

The two of them kept alternating between attacks and defense, easily covering for each other. Kirito knew they needed to find an opening. With his speed he could easily capitalize on it, but Kayaba made sure not to leave himself defenseless. However, he was only human. 

Kirito thrust his sword as he noticed a small delay in Kayaba's reaction. A second later he saw a smirk on Kayaba's face and realized his mistake.

It was a feint.

Kirito's sword got deflected and he could only watch helplessly as Heathcliff's sword slashed through his chest.

"Kirito!"

Asuna noticed a second before the strike hit and pushed him out of the way. However it was too late. Kirito could see his health plummet down. He had already sustained damage earlier, which meant this one slash was enough to kill him. Unfortunately, Asuna didn't seem to realize that. She stepped forward, using her free hand to catch the sword before Heathcliff could attack Kirito for a second time.

"Now Kirito!" she shouted, believing that he would be capable of delivering the final blow. However, Kirito could only watch helplessly as Asuna's health bar dropped as rapidly as his own. Asuna would sacrifice herself for the final strike that never came.

Kirito's health bar reached zero.

The world seemed to fray at the edges. Kirito felt as if he was in a freefall. It was the end.

No, he couldn't let it end here. He made a promise.

Everything came into focus and Kirito once more could feel his body. He reached forward.

He could see the surprise on Kayaba's face, as Kirito's sword stabbed through him.

Kirito smiled at him. He kept his promise.

The health bars of all three of them reached zero and everything was swallowed into darkness.

*

Kirito didn't expect to open his eyes again, but he did. He was sitting on a floating platform, the sun setting in the distance. Asuna was sitting next to him and looking downward. Kirito followed her gaze and saw Aincrad—the floating castle they had spent the last year and half in—was slowly falling apart.

"Congratulations on beating the game," someone said. Both Kirito and Asuna turned their heads to see a lanky man in a white lab coat. He was looking expressionlessly at the crumbling castle. It took Kirito a second to actually recognize him.

"Kayaba," Kirito said, finally remembering him from photos in magazines he read so long ago that it felt like an eternity had passed.

"I've already begun the logout process. All surviving players will be logged out shortly," Kayaba said, already anticipating their question.

"What about those who died?" Asuna asked, but Kirito knew what answer she would receive even before Kayaba spoke.

"The dead can't return to life. They will never regain consciousness." Kirito could see Asuna tremble with rage at his side. Kayaba must have noticed it too. 

"Why would you do something like that?!" she asked, visibly angry. "Why did you trap all of us?"

"I don't have a reason that will satisfy you. I just wanted to create a floating tower more real than anything else… and now it will cease to exist in ten minutes. All of the SAO data is currently being purged."

Asuna opened her mouth, but no words came out. She turned her gaze away from Kayaba to once more look at the crumbling castle.

"I will leave a terrible review of this game whenever I can," she promised. "Just you see, when I get bac—"

Suddenly Asuna wasn't there. Kirito blinked, taken aback by her sudden disappearance.

"Asuna!" he shouted, feeling himself panic.

"Don't worry. The logout process already began and well, Asuna's handle starts with an A so she was one of the first to be logged out," Kayaba explained. 

"So it won't be long before I'm logged out, too?"

"Probably a few minutes," Kayaba confirmed. He turned towards Kirito and slowly walked towards him. Kirito couldn't help feeling wary, but the calm manner with which Kayaba approached him made him stay in place. 

And then when Kayaba stopped before him, Kirito suddenly found himself pulled into a hug. Before he could voice his surprise, he heard Kayaba say words Kirito had been waiting for so long to hear.

"I'm sorry," Kayaba said, sounding wistful. "I shouldn't have put so much of a burden on you."

"Wait, why now?!" Kirito shouted, unsure how to react. Not that it didn't feel satisfying to finally hear the apology, but at this point Kirito had stopped expecting it.

"I promised to apologize to you if you won against me," Kayaba explained as if his actions were perfectly logical. "So I'm fulfilling my promise to you."

"You remembered that?!" Kirito muttered in disbelief.

Kayaba gave him an offended look.

"Of course I did. It was important to you," he explained. "I even considered giving you an apology earlier, but I realized it would be completely insincere to do that when I was still hiding my identity. So, I decided to do so after you cleared the game."

Kirito wasn't even sure where to begin, but somehow that train of thought seemed to be natural for Kayaba.

"I thought you said you wouldn't apologize when you aren't sorry," Kirito pointed out. He wasn't sure what to think about this late apology, but it didn't feel bad to have Kayaba hold him like this. Now that the danger was far away, it was nice to indulge in that transient moment of peacefulness.

"I don't regret my actions. But it doesn't mean I can't feel guilty about some of the results," Kayaba explained.

"It doesn't make sense."

"If I didn't trap you in the game, we wouldn't be able to talk again," Kayaba pointed out.

"You had my email," Kirito replied for the sake of argument, but he knew what Kayaba was saying. He found himself reciprocating the hug. "I don't think what you did was okay, but I do understand why you did it."

"Thank you. I never expected to earn anyone's forgiveness, but I'm glad that I found understanding," Kayaba said, sounding happy.

"Will I see you again?" Kirito asked. "You will probably go to jail after, so probably—"

"No, that won't happen," Kayaba interrupted him.

"What?"

"I have a plan set up in place. I won't be going to jail."

"How?" Kirito muttered.

Kayaba smiled at him cryptically.

"We won't be able to meet in reality, but if you keep playing the games I'm sure we will meet again," Kayaba said. "I will be waiting for you."

"Can't you just give me your new email?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy," Kayaba said. Then he scrolled through an interface before him. "Your time is almost up, so if you want to say something you should hurry."

"I was right when I said I imagined you more as a scholarly type," Kirito said with a wry smile.

"Sorry for deceiving you."

"Kayaba…"

"Yes?"

"If you are saying we can meet again, I will go find you. So wait for me," Kirito promised, his fist tangling even more into Kayaba's lab coat, unwilling to let go.

Kayaba nodded.

"It's a promise. Farewell, Kirito. Let's meet again in the digital world."

As Kirito felt himself sink in the darkness he realized he was satisfied with this outcome.

Heathcliff was unhelpfully cryptical, but that didn't matter. Kirito would find him—no matter how long it would take.


End file.
